Panic-bolt.



11. a. VOIGHT.

P PANIC BOLT.

I APPLIOAIIOU FILED .TUHE 94,1908. 912,21 1 Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

ammwkoz HENRY G. VOlGH T, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

PANIC-B 0LT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hnxnv G. VoIeH'r, a citizen of the'United States, residing at New Britain, Hartford county, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Panic-Bolts, of which the followin is a full, clear, and exact description.

1y invention relates to locks, and articularly to so-called panic door bolts, tie object of the invention being to provide a simple and effective locking mechanism for doors, which mechanism shall be such that in the event of a panic and heavy pressure being applied to the inside of the door, such as would tend to cramp or bind the ordinary bolt, such pressure would be availed of and utilized to retract the bolt, so as to free the 'door and permit it to swing open.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whicht Figure 1 represents, by a perspective view, the main portion of my invention as applied to a door; F ig. 2 a relatively enlarged side elevation of certain details of construction, one part being in section; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of said parts, also partly in section; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of another detail, also partly in section; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of another detail; Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the part shown in Fig. 5, cor

tain details thereof bein v in elevation. V

1 represents a door a apted to swing outwardly.

2 re resents a bolt arranged to take into a suitab e shaped keeper 3 carried by the casing. In this instance, the bolt shown is of the so-called Cremorne ty e, such type including a bolt-head arrange to take into the casing above the door, and another bolthead arranged to take into the door sill." A description of one bolt-head and its various connections, will be sufficient, since said bolts may correspond. The locki side of said bolt-head 2 is beveled'back, as est shown in Fig. 6, so as to present an incline, as indicated at 2. Pressure against the bolt shown in Fig. 6, from the left-hand side, would have a tendency to cause a retraction or repression of the bolt-head 2 by reason of the aforesaid incline, but when thedoor is locked, this retracted movement'is effect ively prevented, one means therefor beinghereinafter described.

4: is a s ring which is, by preference, provided an located within a housing 5, the gperatlon of said spring and iii r Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 24, 1908.

Patented Feb. e, 1909.

Serial No. 440,084.

. otal mounting in the frame or case 7. 8 IS a link connecting said member 6 with the tail 2". l

9 is a gear mounted on the member 6.

10 is a segment meshing with gear 9, such segment being carried by the lever arm 11. The lever arm 11 is pivoted at 12 in the frame or case 7.

14 is a handle projecting sufficiently away from the door so that when said handle is pressed in or pulled out, it will rock the lever 11, moving the rack 10 and partially rotating the gear 9 and the member 6.

The arrangement and the proportion of parts is such that the pivotal connections 15 and 16 of the link 8 will approximately line up with the axis of the gear 9, when the bolt-head 2 is projected, thus forming a dead center, this serving as a very effective means to hold said bolt projected, excepting in the case of an emergency. As will be shown, when the said bolt is projected, the handle 14 stands in such a position that when pressure is applied thereto toward the door 1, it will move it in a direction to retract the bolt through the connections just described. From the foregoing it follows, that should this bolt be used upon a door of a public building or hall and should a panic occur on .the inside, a crowd of persons pressing against the door would be bound to move the handle 14 in a direction to dislodge and retract the bolt-head 2 from keeper 3, thus unlocking the door and permitting it to swing open from the pressure within.

A further improvement comprises extending the handle 14 across the full width of the door, as shown atll P (Fig. 1) connecting it with alever 17 upon the opposite door stile. This lever 17 is fulcrumed at 18 and preferably carries a head 19, having notches therein arranged to be engaged by spring 20, arranged withina housing or frame 21. The function of the spring 20 is to hold said lever 17, and the associated parts, against being dislodged by vibration. If a crowd should press against the door 1, this pressurewould e taken by the transversely extending handle 14, which would beforo e d inwardly, spring'20 yielding to permittheseme. This would simultaneousl cause the "retraction of the bolt-head The .weightggf a crowd shown.

or the pressure against the inner side of a 1 door will not cause the bolt-head 2 to wedge or jam because of the incline 2", but, on the contrary, by reason of said incline said bolt will be all the more readily freed when the proper time arrives, and in the event of a panic. This feature is one of the utmost importance, because in such an emergency the ordinary bolt will tend to cramp and bind, and even though special retracting devices may be employed, this cramping and binding may be so great to absolutely prevent operation of said devices.

As shown, I preferably provide two levers ll11, and two heads l0l0. Likewise, I provide two levers l7--l7, thus securing; very great strength, for, in devices of this character, which are made for the express purpose of withstanding great strain and t pressure in the event of an emergency, it is most important that these devices be ellicient and durable.

Another feature of importance and involvl ing a preferred construction, is the loose= connection of the tail 2* with the lower head 1 2 of the bolt. In the preferred construction, the end of the tail 2 is beveled, as indica ed in dotted lines Fig. 6, and is arrange to take into a corral-spending recess in the lower end of said lower bolt head, as In this construction it follows that but very little strain is required upon the operating handle I to withdraw the tail 2*, thus putting very little strain upon the inter mediate connection between the handle and thctail. Undz'r (El ort'linary circun'istances, the bevel on th olt head :3 would eventually force the bolt b.-

cici: though the spring I did not op rate, but the advantage of having the tail :2" ii truth-n2 of the bolt would he l found in th-- ;t that the bolt hung momentarily, during that period, there would be no exce-sivt strain upon the handle and the intermed ate part, but it would instantly operate to \iilhdraw the tall 2, 30 that the bolt :3 would he subsequently forced back, either by the spring I or by the action of the bevel 2, as before explained. By this arrangement the danger of wrecking the a 'ipara us is ent irely avoided in the event of a slldfili'li powe fu movement on the handle which would not cause an immediate respons on the part of the bolt.

5 in": in the preferred construction, the ail J is iiniependent of the head 2, it is prefeiretl tetheremeans to prevent the bolt 2 and head 5mm rotating, such as a key or spline of any suitable form. In the draw- 1 ings, 2 represents a key in the form of a screw carried by the case 5 at the rear, the nose of said screw projecting into a longitudinal groove at the back of the head 2. This guarantees the proper facing up of the bevel 2 with the adjacent coactmg surface of the keeper 3.

Another advantage of this construction resides in the arrangement by which only a very slight movement of the handle is required to completely withdraw the bolt tail 2*. In the arrangement shown it is obvious that the gear 9 must make substantially a quarter turn to completely Withdraw said tail. By suitably pro'portioning the rack and the length of the lever 11, only a very slight movement (much less than a quarter turn) is required of the lever 11 to give the necessary movement to the gear 9.

What I claim is:

t. In a lock, a bolt, means for projecting said bolt, including a. movable handle projecting outwardly from the door and movable toward and from said door, and an independent means for retracting said bolt when the handle is moved toward the door.

2. In a lock, a bolt. means for projecting said bolt, including a movable handle projetting outwardly from the door and mov able toward and from said door, an inde pendent means for retracting said bolt when the handle is moved toward the door, said means comprising a spring operating against the bolt projecting movement of the handle.

3. in a lock, :1 bolt, means for projccting saitl bolt, including a movable handle projecting outwardly from the door and movable toward and from said. door, an independent means for retracting said bolt when the handle is moved to\ ard the door, and a toggle system of connection between the handle and the bolt for holding the bolt projected while the handle is in the out position.

4. In a lock, a bolt, means for projecting said bolt, including a. movable handle projecting outwardly from the door and movable toward and from said door. auindependent means for retracting said bolt when the handle is moved toward the door, and means automatically controlled by the movement of the handle for holding the bolt in its pro ected position when the handle is in the out position.

HENRY G. V01 GHT. Witnesses:

M. S. \Vmnn, CHAS. E. RUSSELL. 

